With manual brakes, manual steering, a manual transmission, and a 427 under the hood, this powerful pony car promises a brutal and visceral driving experience that no modern ride can match. The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro in Corvette country, Bowling Green, Kentucky, seeks a new owner here on eBay. At least 11 bidders have its market value north of $20,000. Despite a host of pictures, the listing makes no mention of the car’s running condition or provenance. Even if nothing on the car works and nothing is original, a big block first-generation Camaro pretty much sells itself. Thanks to reader Larry D. for suggesting we cover this Butternut beauty.
The body tag decodes to a standard black interior and Butternut Yellow paint. Thanks to Chevy-Camaro for some details. You could definitely run with this interior.
Credit the seller for showing this right quarter panel repair when they could have covered it with $5 worth of rattle can paint. After two years of different stampings, the ’69 switched to more muscular body panels on the same unibody. For some folks, that makes the ’69 the only classic Camaro to consider. Check out RestomodAcademy for a run-down of changes on the first-gen Camaro.
Like crowds? Pop the hood on this ride and gear heads will drop their drinks and walk toward your general location like zombies, not even knowing why, until they’re encircling the engine compartment catching flies with their open mouths. Only a Central Office Production Order (COPO) Camaro ever left the factory with a 427 big block. Check out Camaros for a history of the 1969 COPO Camaro.
Undercar photos show metal repair in three of the four floor wells, and a modern X-pipe exhaust. The honest representation of the undercarriage bodes well for the buyer. Many sellers might have slathered a quarter-inch of undercoating on everything to make it more difficult to identify areas with more than surface rust. Check out a small dose of what it’s like to flex a 427 Camaro here on YouTube. What’s not to like? Sure; your neighbor’s new Camaro SS can best this beast in multiple categories, but when it comes to pure driving experience, give me this yellow dagger every time. Would you take this brutal old-school Camaro or the 21st-century version?
To be clear, not all entries will be “Crusty Ramblings”. I’m trying to have a little fun with the site, and “Crusty Ramblings”( thank you CC) are non-syndicated views of what I think is wrong with the hobby, however, I’m not an idiot, and know what the current “hot buttons” are in the hobby, and a 427, 4 speed 1969 Camaro, is, without question, at the top of the list. Timing is the key here. Interest in these monsters will wane, so there’s a small window of opportunity with this. For once, if I was into this stuff, this is a better money maker than anything,,,for now. To most here, a big block Camaro just SCREAMS 1969. I’m not sure those traits will transfer over to younger generations.
Granted that interest in anything eventually wanes, but even to gearheads in their 20s and 30s the 69 is still instantly recognizable, especially in rs trim. Nobody with even a slight interest ever confuses a 69 rs with any other car. It is unique and beautiful, and since you can build a complete car from a catalog now, sustaining the supply, I think it’ll be quite a while before the popularity of the 69 camaro fizzles out.
Yes, I’m a fan.
Don’t buy that piece of crap the motor has a spun crank
Cranks are supposed to spin.
I think that you should edit your write up to read only COPO Camaros received the 427 big block Todd. Chevrolet produced plenty of SS 396 Camaros.
Thanks Tony Primo. I made this change a little bit ago, and left “big block” in strikethrough so folks can see my mistake. Anyone could order up the 396-powered Camaro from a normal dealer. That’s the stuff of dreams. Thanks, again, for keeping us honest.
Howard and melton you are right on the money. The times they are a changin’. I got a reality check when I attended the 2022 SEMA show in november. Gone were the big Ford and Chevy displays; in fact the spot where Ford was is now Toyota . Hows that for irony. There was a great performance display, to their credit. Gone were the guys like Jon Kozmosky and Gene Winfield, and their sponsors. Sure there were some hotrods but not like before. Its all Rice rockets, 4×4 and electrics. Noticed as soon as I walked in. I guess we just have to enjoy what we have while we can. I myself do not want anyone to tell me that I have to buy an electric car. I want to make that decision. IMHO we are nowhere near ready for then. Off the soapbox.
Cheers
GPC
I looked up the engine code, my books say that it came from a 1969 full size passenger car. It is a 427, but it was the low performance 335 HP version and had a TH-400 transmission behind it.
After enjoying Barn Finds for years, I finally became a member after reading this post:
“ Like crowds? Pop the hood on this ride and gear heads will drop their drinks and walk toward your general location like zombies, not even knowing why…..”
I love the staff’s writing, Howard A’s posts and so much more. I should have done it sooner.
Thanks for the membership and the mention, you now get the personal use of BFs private helicopter too,,what, Todd got it again?
Thanks, Barzini! Like any online forum there will always be trolls, and the imperfect humans writing the content will make mistakes, but in many cases the quality and depth and breadth of information in our comments bring more value than the original article. Some of these posts, mostly thanks to the comments, represent a wealth of knowledge for owners of similar cars. I’ll never be the most clever comic in the room, but I get a good belly laugh at least once a week from reader comments. So to you and Howard, as soon as we buy the Barn Finds private jet, you guys be sure to show your VIP badges and we’ll let the Dom Pérignon flow on our way to SEMA.
Looks like it was a base Camaro somebody dropped a BB into.
If you go to any car show or large auction it is nothing but 69 Camaros. It is probably the most popular of muscle cars and everything from restored stock, prostreet to restomods are out there in all conditions for sale in every color imaginable. They can be whatever you want. The cost to restore this Camaro that’s non original and no mention of a high desired factory example originally it really isn’t worth it to restore. Can buy a restored original for less than cost of having it done. A drag car or restomod is likely the route to go considering costs.
I’d be very proud to own this wonderful car regardless of the correct engine in it or not.
This was an original small block car, you can tell by where the heater hoses are.
My 69 was pre-owned with a 350engine and was my favorite vehicle ever owned among many! Just saying its well worthy of purchasing and that motor cinches the deal!
Your honesty is intact, anyone that knows enough to be interested in this car would be aware of the 396 Camaros. I have never checked, and don’t know how, but at the time, most I saw were 325 hp, and a few 350 hp, and one 375 hp.
Thank you for this very entertaining and informative offering, you guys are tops.
Tho I’m from the heart of the muscle car era (68 yrs young) and owned/modified road and drag raced many, I’m not ignorant. Since my love for performance is why I always loved cars with more cubic inches than they needed no way in the world would I choose this over a new one.
For me I went the other way. I loved the RPM’s the 340 Chrysler made and the 302 Chevrolet made. For me they were a replacement for displacement. I had no problem blowing the doors off of a lot of big block cars. Two small blocks that were under rated by the factory.
I didnt know chev made a 302 besides the zapper that was put in the 69/70 camaro z28? What I read yrs ago was easily capable of 375 hp? It was about 45 yrs ago I read that .
+1 on the 340. Never met one I didn’t like.
I WANT! Wish I had the $$ I’d go , forget it. Probably go for $25,500. I’d do $23k tops but it’ll pass that. Considering I’d have to do a full over restoration, may as well make it the color I’d want. For this around here, I know would be about $10k body work & paint. At least another $10k for all the other small stuff not incl the eng if it runs, miles on it, etc. Have to still ‘dress’ that up too. So yeah after having almost $50k in it, you still have a basic Camaro, non Z or SS, non # match but it’d be somewhat of a resto-mod with the thrill of that BB over the smooth LS everyone jumps too. Can anyone tell which Muncie that is by lookin?
My wife’s ’69 Camaro, bought new, did not have power steering, or power brakes, or Powerglide, and we both drove it with no undue muscle strains. Eventually everything below the belt line rusted away, there was nothing solid to weld anything to. The floors went first, the kids used to watch the pavement go by under their feet, then the rear subframe, then the front subframe, let alone the fenders and rocker panels. The interior, same as this one, was in great shape and it became a donor car for a ’69 which a dog had chewed up.
My favorite motor is a BBC and I have often dreamed about a 69 Camaro with a big block so years ago when I built my 69 camaro (which I still own to this day) what motor did I build and install, a 350. My reasoning was that I was building a car for road trips not so much street racing or drag racing and the sbc would be a better choice for all-around enjoyment, better mileage, better cooling and less over cost. Still when I look at this camaro , boy I still kind of want a 427 between the frame rails, oh well .
I love all American performance cars. I remember when these were new. Every model year I couldn’t wait to see what every company had to offer. The thing I really love about these classics is how simple they were. No computers,or sensors, just natural raw horsepower. I would much rather have a big block with a 4 speed and a Hurst competition plus. Nothing else like them.
I’ve owned two Chevies in my life (Corvairs don’t count, do they?), one was a ’69 Camaro that had been totaled twice when I bought it. Rebuilt it, including wheeling a front sub-frame from a Firebird under it. Was hit three more times in the short period I owned it. Last time, a telephone company truck (remember those?) pulled out in front of me, think the insurance check covered my costs.
Shed no tears when I signed over the title to the new owner.
Just watched the video. Found it to be 4 minutes and 10 seconds long.
4:10. 🤔.
I’m with you. 4:10 is a factory 8.75″ mopar ratio. My 69 ss350 has an 8.75″ axle with 4:10s. I think factory 12 bolt ratios were 4:11.
Is this the same engine/transmission combination that was featured in the famous 1969 Walt Disney commercial for Gulf No Nox? I wonder what the guy who puts those mostly in-accurate quarter mile times on many barn find cars would place on this car?
I think this car is great, no fake Z 28, RS, or even SS badging.
There is something very cool about an honest clean low spec car.
That 427 can be anything anyone would want.
Looks good enough to proceed with.
Exactly!